A couple of us from Atimi stopped by Vancouver’s new Apple Store in Pacific Centre on the way back from lunch the other day. Looking around at the cool hardware and accessories was like jumping into a time machine.  There are so many new products to check out and you’re actually allowed to pick them up and use them, without assistance or supervision. We were like a bunch of kids in a candy store.

After the crowd moved away, I got to touch and feel the new MacBook Air. It weighs almost nothing. It’s sleek. I want one. There are about 10 iPod Touch music players on tables that you can take for a test drive. The interface is almost cooler than the sound that comes out of the 350 dollar headphones! Almost.

After I got to play with everything, I decided I’d have to go with the new iMac and an iPod Touch (if my credit cards weren’t racked already). I’d love an iPhone too, but it was conspicuously absent…

I was quite impressed with my first MacWorld. From a trade show perspective, it was well organized. The keynote with Steve Jobs was great, you can taste the excitement in the air. As he knocked off each accomplishment everyone was nodding their head in delight, especially with the iPhone stats. Wow, really? 4m units in 200 days or 20,000 a day! These figures boggle the mind. Way to stick it to the nay-sayers Steve. The video rental with Apple TV was cool but the response was mild. The MacBook Air was delightful, when Steve took it out of the interoffice envelope, you could see the smile on his face. I wouldn’t mind having an MB Air but I’m not desperate for one. Despite all the great accomplishments, new products and services, I think everyone kept waiting for the famous “oh by the way” line…which of course didn’t happen. I don’t know, despite the seemingly disappointed crowd, I was still impressed by the company, the products and the lead man, Steve Jobs. Come on guys, give him a break, there’s always next year.

I’m so excited about attending my first Macworld Expo. Sure I’ve been to conferences for SAP, Oracle and Microsoft before but I’ve heard that Macworld is different, something special. There’s an air of anticipation, an overt excitement to mix and mingle with thousands of other like-minded folks with the added prospect of new and exciting products to come. I’ve been telling everyone that I’m going to Macworld and they all seem to know about it. Some of my non-Mac friends are attending and they’re not even in the Mac market. What’s going on? I thought this was for fans, for the loyal ones. It would seem that the iPod and iPhone have excited my corporate friends. Many are taking a second look at Macs for business duties, others have bought Macs for personal use. This is indeed a special Macworld for me. At the one-year birthday of the iPhone, with it nipping at the heels of the Blackberry, the corporate world might just give Macs a second look. Could this be the tip of the iceberg? My next entry will be at Macworld–my first impression of the show.